A NEW touring production from Protein Dance is delving into the world of social networking.

The show, LOL (Lots of Love), looks at the evolutionary shift that the internet has had upon the way we live, love and connect with each other.

With video animation by Rachel Davies, lighting by Jackie Shemesh and with original music by Andy Pink, LOL (Lots of Love) mixes social comment, provocative humour and engaging performances by the six-strong cast.

For Protein, creating and performing dance is crucially connected with everyday life. Artistic director Luca Silvestrini takes everyday issues and subjects them to a deep, witty analysis through his own very idiosyncratic and distinctive dance theatre.

Driving the approach is a desire to connect theatrical experience with the life stories of participants – amateur or professional – and audiences.

Protein Dance was founded in 1997 by Italian Silvestrini, and Bettina Strickler from Switzerland, who attended the Laban conservatoire for dance in London together as students.

Beginning with their bilingual duet, Duel, in 1998, they created a series of high energy, accessible professional stage works, each one relishing a different aspect of contemporary life – from booze culture to consumerism.

Protein has toured throughout the UK and internationally, with performances in Italy, Spain, Denmark, Switzerland, France, Germany, Croatia, Malta, Czech Republic, Holland, Canada and the USA.

Protein has always been inspired by the challenge of making work for unusual sites, such as Publife, which toured pubs and clubs in the UK and internationally.

Participation by non-professional performers in dance has been at the heart of Protein’s work from the start.

It has created several projects for large cross-generational casts, and at the same time developed dance participation packages for schools and colleges, which enhance students’ understanding of touring productions and meet the needs of the National Curriculum for dance and performing arts.

Protein Dance will be at Taliesin Arts Centre in Swansea on Thursday; Aberystwyth Arts Centre on February 19 and The Riverfront, Newport on April 7